Representing, Protecting and Building Communities in Illinois

Municipal Lawyers to Guide Government Policies

Overview

Providing Illinois Governments Sophisticated and Practical Counsel

Some lawyers make deals. Some argue cases. Some protect assets. We do those things and more. We build legal infrastructure. We establish rights that survive challenges. We write laws that stand the test of time. We craft agreements that communities are built on.

For decades, the attorneys at Elrod Friedman have worked with Illinois governments of all sizes and levels. Our abilities representing the public sector go far beyond how to run a meeting or adopt an ordinance. We have experience in all aspects of municipal and Illinois government operations. Put simply, we do the little things right, and we do the big and complicated things right as well.

Our public sector attorneys did not get here by chance — we have been hooked from the beginning of our careers on the challenges and opportunities of government representation, and we each have chosen to work here to practice government law at the highest level.

MEET THE TEAM

This is how we work for our public sector clients:

  • We have a deep bench of experienced attorneys, and we structure our practice so our clients have ready access to that experience.
  • We get our projects done on time
  • We return emails and phone calls right away
  • We are creative
  • We believe “no, you can’t do that,” is rarely the complete answer
  • We understand that we are not policy makers; rather, we help policy makers legally advance chosen policies.
  • We do not seek or need the limelight.
  • We strive for client satisfaction as our number one goal.

Collaborative Experience for the Public Sector

Our government attorneys collaborate every day to bring the very best representation to our government clients. We rely upon and consult with each other to identify the best legal approaches, the most effective documents, and the most creative strategies to help our clients succeed. Because our bench is so deep and our experience so vast, we know that we can rise to any challenge and help Illinois governments realize their goals.

Broad Range of Government Clients

In addition to villages and cities, we regularly represent counties, forest preserves, park districts, local and statewide pension systems, fire protection districts, airport and marina authorities, boards of education, medical districts, building commissions, library boards and districts, interstate compacts, and regional planning agencies. We have also represented the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois on a wide array of special projects.

We have worked with home rule and non-home rule municipalities and counties, special districts and other Illinois government entities, adjusting as needed based on the legal scope of their authority under state law and the Illinois Constitution of 1970. For home rule units, we know well how to help exercise their extensive constitutional authority to accomplish various services and policy goals. For non -home rule units, we have decades of experience with the Illinois Municipal Code and all of its explicit and implicit authority for municipalities to utilize.

Our Public Sector and Municipal Law Services

Government Legal Services

Zoning and Land Use Development

General Government Counseling

Government Operations

Government Ethics

Internal Investigations

Public Contracts 

Government Finance and Taxation

Litigation and Administrative Law

Employment and Personnel Law

Intergovernmental Cooperation and State Legislative Initiatives

Joint Projects

Election and Political Activities

Pensions and PSEBA

Illinois Cannabis Law

COVID-19

​Private Sector Knowledge. Public Sector Benefit.

We are one of the few firms in Illinois that regularly represents both public and private sector clients. We have proven false the old school belief that these two practices create conflicts and cannot coexist.

To the contrary, while always maintaining confidentiality and strictly complying with all rules of professional conduct, our deep knowledge of and insights into the issues of importance to private sector real estate owners, developers, and investors, materially benefits of our public sector clients on many specific transactions.

SEE PRIVATE SECTOR

Get the Representation Your Community Deserves

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